Radar is an acronym for “radio detection and ranging.” A radar system can be used both to detect position and to detect the movement of objects. Radar systems generally operate in the ultra-high-frequency (UHF) or microwave part of the radio-frequency (RF) spectrum. Radar systems are widely used in air-traffic control, aircraft navigation, marine navigation and in detection systems used in military applications. Radar can also track storm systems, because precipitation reflects electromagnetic fields at certain frequencies.
Radar systems use antennas to receive or to send radar signals. In general, an antenna is a device that converts radio-frequency fields into alternating current (AC) or vice-versa.
In electronic signaling, phase is a definition of the position of a point in time (i.e., an instant) on a waveform cycle. A waveform is the representation of how AC varies with time. One example of an AC waveform is the sine wave. The sine wave represents energy concentrated at a single frequency. For example, household utility current has a general sine waveform at 60 Hz. A complete cycle is defined as 360 degrees of phase. Phase can also be an expression of relative displacement between or among waves having the same frequency.
Phase difference, also called phase angle, in degrees is conventionally defined as a number greater than −180, and less than or equal to +180. Leading phase refers to a wave that occurs “ahead” of another wave of the same frequency. Lagging phase refers to a wave that occurs “behind” another wave of the same frequency. When two signals differ in phase by −90 or +90 degrees, they are said to be in phase quadrature. When two waves differ in phase by 180 degrees (−180 is technically the same as +180), the waves are said to be in phase opposition. Phase is sometimes expressed in radians rather than in degrees. One radian of phase corresponds to approximately 57.3 degrees.
A phased-array radar antenna is a collection of many small radar antennas that are geometrically positioned so that their outputs and received signals are correlated in terms of phase. In a phased-array radar system, beamsteering or beamforming, i.e., control of the radar transmission or reception direction, is electronic instead of mechanical. Electronic control has advantages over mechanical control in that beamsteering can be performed more quickly resulting in faster scan rates than in mechanical systems. Also, a phased-array radar antenna is more reliable as there are no mechanical positioning devices to fail.
The phased-array radar system typically has an array of antenna elements each connected to radar signal generation and reception circuitry. Each antenna element radiates when supplied with radar frequency power (“RF drive signals”), and responds to incident radiation of appropriate frequency by producing a received signal. Received signals are downconverted to intermediate frequency (IF) by mixing with a local oscillator (LO) signal. In transmission, the output radar beam direction is controlled by the phase relationship between the RF drive signals to individual antenna elements in the array. If the RF drive signals are all in phase with one another, the output beam direction is perpendicular to the phased-array where the antenna array is a planar system. If the drive signal phase varies linearly with antenna element position across the array, the output beam is inclined at an angle to the array. Altering the rate at which phase varies with position alters the output beam inclination and provides the received signal phase as a function of array position. This may be achieved by varying the LO phase across the array, or by inserting differing delays into received signal paths.
In both reception and transmission, control of signal phase at each individual array element is a prerequisite to viable phased-array radar. Further, it is desirable to provide clean RF drive signals, that is, signals having a minimum amount of noise, because accurate antenna positioning depends on the RF drive signals. Further, it is desirable to have a reliable power supply for antenna reliability particularly since phased-array radar is used in critical situations.